12 Great Batman Musical Parodies
Batman is one of the darkest most serious heroes out there. He doesn’t have time for music! But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t inspire a lot of music from his legions of fans, most of it really entertaining. So while it is nearly impossible to make a list of the definitive best Batman fan music videos out there, I’ve compiled a list of 12 I feel are damn entertaining. The only real rule is these couldn’t just be clips from TV shows or movies put to music, either an original parody or an original video. Enjoy!
Next: #12. Arkham Origins Rock Opera
#12. Arkham Origins Rock Opera
This is a good start to the list, as if any hero would work in a rock opera, it’s Batman. In the video, Batman comes to confront Black Mask, but it seems nearly all his foes from Joker to Riddler and Scarecrow have joined up to finally put an end to the Dark Knight. The lyrics are solid and all the parts are pretty well sung (bonus for getting some who can be a shrill Harley Quinn without going over into just annoying territory).
I do have some minor complaints about the costumes-Is one of those guys supposed to be Maxie Zeus? I guess, it’s really hard to tell just who he is supposed to be. And I guess it’s the easier costume, but Dark Knight Rises Bane shouldn’t be the default Bane. But other than that it’s a very fun video and song with some fun extras like a behind the scenes video, check it out below:
Next: #11. The Dar Knight Rises Musical
#11. The Dark Knight Rises Musical
This is one of a couple songs on the list that recaps a specific Batman story, that being the movie the Dark Knight Rises, the final film in the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy starring Christian Bale. This was obviously way more timely when it came out in 2013 as it was not long after both Dark Knight Rises and the song it is parodying, Macklemore’s Thrift Shop, had both released. But it may actually work a little better now with the overplaying of Thrift Shop having pretty much gone away and while it faced a lot of initial criticism (although what the hell wouldn’t after trying to follow the second film in the trilogy, The Dark Knight), it still holds up as a really solid conclusion to the film trilogy. Regardless, it’s a really catchy way to get the gist of Dark Knight Rises in just a few minutes, slight warning of a little NSFW language, but nothing excessive (certainly way less excessive than is in the actual song being parodied):
Next: #10. Call Me Batman
#10. Call Me Batman
I tried not to include multiple parodies of the same song on this list, but this ended up being one of two Batman parodies of “Call Me Maybe” because aside from both songs revolving around the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight films the songs are very different. Plus I think it’s just hilarious that the entire song is sung by the guy in his best Christian Bale Batman voice. That must have gotten painful after awhile. They do “rhyme” crazy with crazy a little too often and I think this might’ve worked a little bit better as a full on duet with the guy playing The Joker in the video, but it’s still very entertaining, give it a watch:
Next: #9. Batman Maybe
#9.Batman Maybe
This is the second of two “Call Me Maybe” parodies on this list (apparently that’s a goldmine for Batman fans) and it also focuses on Christopher Nolan’s Batman, specifically the third and final movie in the series, The Dark Knight Rises. I think this is better than “Call Me Batman” not only because the production values are higher but the lyrics certainly work better and it takes a real concept (Dark Knight Rises from the view of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character, Blake, trying to convince Bruce Wayne to become Batman again after being retired and a virtual recluse for 8 years) and runs real well with it rather than just some guy in a Batsuit singing lyrics. Check out Batman Maybe below:
Next: #8. Batman Medley
#8. Batman Medley
Batman Medley gets a lot of points for just being fun and incredibly silly, but also tackling a wide variety of songs in one go. You’ve got a group number (with Two Face singing “I’ve got a burned face, which makes me laugh nearly every single time) which is a fantastic parody of One Direction’s “One Thing” and then several of the villains have individual songs quite excellently parodying a bunch of different songs (including Call Me Maybe yet again but I swear it’s the last one and it’s just one small part of the medley). I find it a little odd that they are mixing things like Dark Knight Joker with Harley Quinn, but whatever. The best one out of the bunch might be Riddler’s take on Flo Rida’s “Whistle”, watch “Batman Medley” below:
Next: #7. Batman Rap
#7. Batman Rap
First off I need put in a serious NSFW warning on this video. There is no nudity or excessive violence, but a ton of swearing, so be forewarned. That being said, I think this video is absolutely hilarious. Major props for having a guy who looks pretty close to a young, more fratboyish version of Christian Bale. And this is basically what Batman would be like if he was a complete ego maniac. Like bleep out the swearing and I could totally see this number popping up in the Lego Batman film coming next year. Heck, this plays a lot like a Lonely Island video. It’s also a little odd that they go with more classic versions of Batman villains in the video like Joker, but still stick with the Dark Knight Rises version of Bane. I guess no one wants to dress up like a Mexican luchador on steroids? Anyways, once again I feel the need to warn you that “Batman Rap” is super NOT SAFE FOR WORK, but I still think it’s pretty funny, check it out below:
Next: #6. Dark Knight Changes
#6. Dark Knight Changes
I am a huge fan of KFaceTV’s song parodies, they have done a bunch of amazing parody songs and videos on everything from Star Trek to Legend Of Zelda and nerd culture in general, most notably “Dark Lord Funk”, which really took on a life of it’s own. But most of their songs don’t have anything to do with Batman, so they don’t get a lot of mention on this site.
But they do have one Batman parody song and video they made last year, “Dark Knight Changes”. A pretty good, frankly superior take on One Direction’s hit song “Changes” (and I really have nothing against One Direction), with insanely good production values for what essentially is a very unofficial fan parody and a great theme of how Batman has changed through all the decades of his existence. Check out “Dark Night Changes below”:
Next: #5. Bat Blood
#5. Bat Blood
Parody is what How It Should’ve Ended is all about, but rarely do they make a song and music video about it. Maybe this just seemed like too obvious an idea to pass up as it came out right when all the Batman v Superman hype was really ramping up (until the inevitable disappointment when it actually came out). You don’t have to be a fan of How It Should’ve Ended to enjoy “Bat Blood” or even a fan of Taylor Swift’s for that matter (in case you can’t tell it’s parodying her song “Bad Blood”) but there are some pretty fun Easter eggs and references in their for longtime viewers of their stuff.
One thing that I think is odd about the video is that Batman is pulling together his “squad” to go up against Superman and The Justice League and it’s random people from various movies like Han Solo and Furiosa. But Batman has his own damn squad already. His extended Bat-family is goddamn huge. I’m not saying they’d stand a huge chance against the Justice League, but probably just as much as the squad he puts together in the video. Check out the video for “Bat Blood” below:
Next: #4. Do You Wanna Kill The Batman?
#4. Do You Wanna Kill The Batman?
Frozen was three years ago, and there are so many goddamn parodies of “Let It Go” that I may never be able to listen to that song or any parodies of it again. “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman” isn’t quite at that level, but even if it was, I’d love this incredibly clever take on it, where Harley is trying to cheer up a clearly dejected and defeated Joker, who just stays in his room mumbling about Batman. He doesn’t even want to go out and kill somebody (it doesn’t have to be the Batman), he must be super depressed. Hell, this video almost makes me feel sorry for The Joker. But then I realize he’s a murderous psychopath and I come to my senses.
I also really like all the costume changes Harley goes through to show not only passage of time, but arguably her growing away from Joker and realizing she’s probably better off with someone like Poison Ivy, but hey if Joker ever gets out of his funk and wants to kill the Batman, she’ll still be there for him when he does. Check out “Do You Wanna Kill The Batman?” below:
Next: #3. Bat Romance
#3. Bat Romance
It’s gotta be the car. Chicks dig the car. Not really, but the premise behind “Bat Romance”, which is a very obvious but great parody of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” is that pretty much every female villain in Gotham wants to get in Batman’s tights. Even Joker’s usually fiercely dedicated paramour Harley Quinn. The production values in both the video and the song (listen to that sound quality) are super off the charts for a fan parody video.
My one big complaint? Female Bane at the end. It’s not because Bane’s female it’s more that there are just so goddamn many female characters you could’ve easily slotted in their. You want to surprise people just do a deep pull like Duela Dent. Or at the very least do a female version of comic book Bane. Why does EVERYONE have to do Dark Knight Rises Bane? You don’t see that with virtually any other character. Anyways, check out Bat Romance below:
Next: #2. Batlexander Manilton
#2. Batlexander Manilton
This one really sticks out in my mind because I admittedly am super into the Hamilton soundtrack, I actually listen to it quite a bit when writing the last several months. But even if I wasn’t, “Batlexander Manilton” is just a super creative idea, keeping with the tone of the original song it’s based on (“Alexander Hamilton” from Hamilton) and still making all the lyrics really fit Batman’s origin. And holy hell I do not know how the cast just says Batlexander Manilton so smoothly, those words just sound weird in my mouth.
I mean, now I want to a whole musical of this, just a full Batman musical parody of Hamilton. I might’ve gone for a different name for the song, cause the title makes it sound like Alexander Hamilton became Batman, but then admittedly naming a song “Batlexander Manilton” makes sure it’s incredibly unique and easy to find. Check out “Batlexander Manilton” below:
Next: #1. Batmetal Returns
#1.Batmetal Returns
“Batmetal Returns” is admittedly unique from the rest of this list in that the song itself isn’t technically a parody (although Dethklok is a parody of metal in general so that from that what you will) and so what it does is take an already existing song and make some original animation with it. But that animation is so hilariously insane that it works incredibly well. Like, it should be total nonsense, how can you make a silly Batman video to this? But that’s the secret, IT IS TOTAL NONSENSE AND IT’S INSANELY BRILLIANT.
I mean it’s Batman rocking out with his Bat sons, but it’s also him rescuing Aquaman from Ariel who apparently is super evil and has the cast of Spongebob Squarepants as her minions? HOW DO YOU EVEN COME UP WITH THIS AND WHY IS IT SO AWESOME? I DON’T KNOW IT JUST IS AND I DON’T EVEN LIKE METAL! I think the original “Batmetal” is just ok. “Batmetal Returns turns the insanity all the way up and it’s just wonderfully hilarious and insane. Check it out below:
And that is 12 really awesome Batman musical parodies. Granted, it is nearly impossible to make a definitive list because there are ton of Batman parodies out there and some can be incredibly hard to find. But despite (or maybe because) of his dark and serious nature, there is actually a huge musical side to Batman so look forward to us exploring that more in the future. If there’s any videos you feel should be on the list, be sure to include them in the comments below!